Improvement in pressure and gravitation machine



PATENTED SEPT 26, 1865.

, 0. MONSON. v PRESSURE AND GRAYITATION MACHINE.

2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 1.

[ma awn- No; 50,151. PATENTED SEPT; 26, 1865 G. MONSON. PRESSURE ANDGRAVITATION MACHINE.

I 2 SHEETS-ESHBET Z UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CHARLES MONSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSURE AND GRAVITA' FION MACHiNE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,151, dated September26, 18.65,; 'antedated' September 15, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ll'lONSON, of the city and county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement, which I style a Pressure and Gravitation Machine; and I dohereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and ex act descriptionof the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side view;Fig. 2, a plan of the same; Figs. 3 and 4, to illustrate a differentmechanism to aid in the result to be accomplished in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig.5, the same principle as applied to rotary motion; and Fig. 6, toillustrate a multiplication of power and a diflerent cooling device.Fig. 7

.illustrates a still different construction to ac complish the sameresults.

I 1- style myinvention a gravitation-engihe.

with fluid; then by generating steam within the said one vessel thesteam will, by its pressure upon the surface of the fluid, cause thesaid fluid to flow from the said one vessel through theconduit-connection into the second vessel, and employing the weight ofthe-said fluid by such change from vessel to vessel, or from a secondback to the first, to produce a power which may be utilized for thevarious purposes for which other motors are now used.

To enable others skilled to make anduse my invention, and to more fullyillustrate its prineiples and workings, I will proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, I refer first to the plan illustrated inFigs. 1 and2. A and B are two vessels or chambers of about equalcapacity. They may bcof variousforms. Iconstruct the said vessels ofmetal as thin as may be and withstand the pressure required in theoperation, so that heat or cold, as required, may act more readily ontheir contents for the purpose oi'expansion by heat or condensation bycold, as more fully shown hereinafter. C is a tube or conduit unitingth'etwo chambers or vessels A and B, and through which is a passageopening into each at or near its lowest point. D is a hollow axle, towhich is attached the said tube C, and the said axle, when suspended ina supporting-frame, E, becomes the center of motion around or from whichthe said vessels A and B may vibrate. At or near this center of motion Iextend the tube C, by

ceiling or extending the tube,as shown in Fig.

2. I surround the axle with a cylinder, F, or enlarge the hollow of theaxle to inolose the coil or extension of the tube. Gr and H are twobaths of water placed so that in the vi bration or ascent and descent ofthe said yes sels they will alternately, in their descent, plungeinto-the said baths. Iis a shaft, to

much reduced. The air which now remains in the two vessels andconnecting-tube I exhaust through the same opening 0, in any convenientmanner, to form as nearly as possible avacuum in the vessels. I thenclose the opening 0. The two baths G and H, as before stated, are filledwith water. The. vessel A, in which is the fluid, being heavier than thevessel B by so much as the weight of the fluid it contains, will restinthe bath G, as shown in black, Fig. 1. I now apply heat to the saidbath, and when the temperature is raised to a degree to cause generationof steam from the fluid in the vessel, this temperature need only beincreased as more rapid generation may be desired. Thus heated, andsteam generating in the vessel, from which it cannot escape, it willcreate a pressure upon the surface of the fluid and force that to ascendthrough the tube 0 into the vessel B. Through the hollow axle D, Iintroduce a cold current of water or air onto and around the coil ortube C, for the purpose of cooling the fluid on its passage to the upvessel, that the fluid, being thus slightly reduced intemperature,shallcondensewhateversteain,ifany, it may meet in the upvessel. When asnfficient quantity of the fluid shall have passed intotheup vessel to overbalance that remaining in the lower vessel, and alsothe resistance bythe power required to move the shaft I, the upper wandnow heavier vessel will descend until it I) and turns the wheel which isfixed to the shaft I, and consequently gives a partial revolution to thesaid shaft proportionate to the.

distance traversed by the vessel B in its descent. When thevessol B hasfallen into the bath, as described, the vessel A becomes the up vessel,and their positions are reversed, as shown in red, Fig. 1. The heatedwater in the bath H now generates steam in the vessel B, in like manneras in vessel A from bath G, as described,- and from like causes thefluid now in the vessel B retraverses the tube G'to the now. up vesselAuntil in like manner, as before described, the vessel A becomessufficien t ly heavy to overcome the resistance offered to the vessel Bin its descent. It (the vessel A) will.

vdescend and plunge into the bath G, as before. In this descent a secondpaw], a, turns a second cog-wheel, b, which meshes into the cogwheel I)fixed to the shaft I. This operation will turn the. shaft in the samedirection and a corresponding portion of a revolution as that given inthe descent of the vessel B. Again the vessel A will be heated asbefore, and so the two vessels will continue a reciprocating motion,alternately imparting their power to the shaft I, as described, fromwhich .it, may

' be taken as from driving-shafts of any of the common motors. 'Thiswould evidently produce an intermittent motion of the shaft, and forthat reasonwould, in most cases, be objec-- tionable; but to obviatethat objection I em-v ploy so many'pairs of the said vessels, each pair.acting indcpendentof the others, as shall give a constant motion to thesaid shaft-that is, that one of the number shall be descending during anentire revolution of the shaft.

For a multiplication ofpowcr I increase the, size of the vessels; but ifa power be required greater than it is desirable to make a single vessellarge enough for, ,I unite two or more, as in Fig. 6, fixed to the sameaxle, and acting together, as more fully described hereinafter.

It may be advantageous to use two fluids withinthe vessels-one aheavier, (as mercury,)

the other a lighter fluid, employing the lighter for the purpose ofrapid generation of steam to force'the heavier fluid into the up vesselto act as the weight. This would require no change in the constructiondescribed, .but 'simply supplying the two fluids, in the m annerdescribed, for the one fluid; and this use of two fluids I believe to bemuch better than one, as I am enabled thereby to employ smaller vesselsfor the same weight, and of course less fluid,

comparatively, to heat and condense.

Another mode of construction involving the same principles I illustratein Figs. 3 and 4, the difference being chieflyin the manner of coolingthe fluid or condensing. A is a vessel similar in its construction toand connection with another vessel through the tube 0 and hollow axle D.The other vessel, answering to B, in Figs. 1 and 2, is not shown in thisfigure, as the two vessels are not required to describe the method ofcooling illustrated in these Figs. 3 and 4. G is a bath for the samepurpose as the baths shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus far the constructionand operation may bethe same as that before described and illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2; but to afford a more rapid and certain cooling orcondensing process, I introduce in these Figs. 3 and 4 what I termcooling buckets. I surround the upper part of the vessels with a casing,0, (see Fig. 4,) closed. upon its edges and at theiuner or lower end,the outer end being left open to the atmosphere. The-edges are inclined,(see Fig. 3,) so that as the vessel rises from the bath none of' theheated water will remain therein. 0 is a bath constantly supplied withcold water. P is a bucket fixed to a beam, R, which vibrates from acenter or bearing, 0. In the bottom of this said bucketI insert avalve,i, which opens inward". I connect this bucket by means of a tube, S,with the space incloscd by the casing c. Said tube opens into both thesaid space and the said bucket, and is jointed atd and d, to allow thevessel and bucketboth to rise, and by this connection cause them to risesimultaneously. The bucket P resting in the cold-water bath 0, asrepresented in black,

the water will, of its own gravitation, flow through the valve i andfill the bucket .to a level with the water in the bath. Thus thequantity,of cold water to be taken is governed by the quantity in thebath or the depth. to which the bucket is allowed to plunge, and as thebucket is raised from the water the valve will close from the pressureof the water in the bucket upon it, and consequently carry from the baththe water contained therein.

By the generation of steam in the vessel A, in the manner as beforedescribed, and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the fiuid thereincontainedwill rise into the opposite vessel th'rou gh the tube (3 in like manneras before described, and from the same cause as in the firstillustration the vessel A will rise and carry with it the bucket of coldwater in consequence of the connection-tube S before described; and whenin its ascent the bucket I shall have inclined toward its center ofmotion sufficiently to allow it, the cold water therein contained willflow from the bucket through the tube S into the space incloscd by thecasing c. This may take place sooner or later as the mouth of the tubeopening into the bucket is lower orhigher.

But the vessel must have risen high enough so the rising fluid fromtheopposite vessel. This same apparatus I apply to the'other vessel, oras many of them as may be in use. In the descent of the vessel A thecold water in the easing 0, will, by the declination of the vessel,-

flowfrom the casin g and fall over the bath or,

if advantageous, it might be conducted into the bath to supply the wasteof'water in the bath occasioned by evaporation or otherwise.-

a common center or axle, A','vessels B B B &c., 3not unlike the vesselsbefore described. 1

unite-voile, B, withthe next, B, by means of a tube, 0, open intoone-sayB-and in the next, B,'closed bya valve-,'a, opening inward, and

' thus all are connected from one to the next.

Dis a bath similar to those before described;

I fill or partially fill one of the vesselsB with fluid, asbeforedescribed, andexhaust the air from-all. The lower one, B, being theheaviest, will be immersed in the bath D,'which is heated till steam isgenerated asi'n the first-described illustration. As the valve a in thisvessel B opens inward the fluid cannot escape thence,

' but/will be forced throug'l-i the open tube *0 in- -to the secondvessel, B", through the valve a,

unlilfthat vessel becoinesheavy enough to' overcome the resistancerequired to revolvev the shaft and the remaining fluid in the lowervessel. Then it will descend into the bath, in the course of whichdecent the remaining fluid in B will all, or nearly so, have passedinto-Bl, 'Which being nowin thebath in the position previously. occupiedby the .vessel B, the same process of generation will begone throughwith, and the fluid forced into the third vessel,

. B?, which in its turn descends, and, so on, continuing around, in thesame direction as long as steam is generated in the lowest vessel. Ifother. condensation or cooling is'requiste than that-imparted by thevessel itself, cooled by passing through the air, the tubes may pass upthrough the center part'of the wheel in similar manner to the plan:first described,and

illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.. For an increase of the power of thisrotary plan I fill two or 'niore-sayB and B- with fluid, unite thefirst, B, with the third, B the second, B, with the fourth, B and so onin like manner as from first to second last described; or for still moreconstant movement I place-two or more of the wheels or sets .of vesselsso as to act upon the same drivin g-shaft, but to act between those ofanother wheel-that is, so that one of the sets may be-alwaysmoving.

- In Fig. 6 I illustrate astill different but equivalent manner ofcooling or condensing, as also the application of several vessels to actsimultaneously for an increase of power. 0 G

are tubes, to each of which may be attached a vessel "in like manner andoperating substantially as before described, and illustrated inFigs. land 2. A central tube or hollow shaft, D, is incased by a cylinder, E.Within this outer cylinder, E, and surrounding the hollow shaft D,Ilintroduce a second cylinder,

F, into which the tubes 0 open. This said cylinder Fmusr, of course, beair-tight. A

.supply of cold water is passed through the hollow shaft D,'and into theouter casing and around the cylinder F, for the purpose of cooling thefluid in its passage from one vessel to the other through the tubes 0.To cause an equal distribution of the fluid into the several vesselswhich may be thus connected together,

I connect all the vessels on either side by a tube, through which thefluid will flow until the same level is maintained in all the vessels onthe same side. If still greater amount of cooling-surface is desirable,Imake the hollow axle longer and place one set of the vessels at 7 backinto a liquid state. I have also named water'bath as a means of heatingfor its great convenience, but canemploy any other means for generatingthe steam.

Fig. 7'illustrates a somewhat different, and perhaps it may -in somecases, if not in all,

be deemed a more advantageous,method than those already described.Itconsists in generatin g the steam in separate vessels from those Iwhich contain the fluid for the weight. I lead the steam, from the saidseparate or steam -vessels,by means of a conducting-tube, into the saidweight-vessels above the fluid, to act upon the said fluid and force itto another similar weight-vessel, as in the first illustratiomwhere Ihave described the steam as being generated in the weightvessel only. Inthis Fig. 7, A B are two vessels, which in their construction andconnection with each other are like the vessels shown in Figs. 1 and 2and first described. I fill one of these vessels-say A-up or about tothe fluid-line 1 2 with fluid, which I propose to use as. the weight. OD are two smaller or steam vessels, and arejunited to the axis E so as.to vibrateat the same time with the vessels A B. A tube, F G, leads fromeach of the steam-vessels G D into the weightvesselsA B a little abovethe fluid line 1 2. H is be alternately wholly submerged in the bath H.Steam arising from the fluid in the vessel 0 passes through tube F intothe vessel A above the fluid, and will, by its force upon the surface Yof the fluid, cause the said fluid to flow, from the vesselA through thetube I into the up vessel B in like manner as first described, and

illustrated .in Figs. 1 and 2, and then, in the same manner, the weightofthe said fluid will eause the vessel B to descend and A to ascend, andwith this change a corresponding change of: the vessels 0 D takes place,and the before- .,.up steam-vessel D is now submerged in the bath H. Inthe ascent of the said vessel A a cock, at, is, by a mechanism, turnedto close the pipe or tube F,- to prevent an undue admission of steamfromthe vessel 0,.and in the descent the said stop-cock is opened by thesametmechanism. The steam thus filling the vessel A will, as itcondenses,- add to the quan tity of fluid in the said weigh t-vessel,and thus the steam-vessel might eventually become exhausted of itsfluid, butthat the fluid cannot rise much above the fluid-level in thevessel A before it escapes through the tube F and-returns back into thevessel 0, and thus the fluidlevels are maintained. When the positions ofthe vessels are reversed, as described-that is, B containing the weightand D in the bath-tbe same operation is performed as before-,the fluidreturnin g to the up vesselA, and so continues to vibrate as beforedescribed, and in like mauner imparting motion to a driving-shaft.

. Some of the advantages of this'method of separate steam-vessels are,first, that I reduce the quantity of fluid necessary to be heated,

" and, second. I accomplish a perfect immersion of thegenerating-vessels in the heating-baths. These objects may, however, beaccomplished in the manner first described without these extra vessels GD, provided mercury be used for the Weight; but when the fluid for thesteam and the fluid for the weight are of the same kind, thevplan asillustrated by Fig, 7 has its superior advantages. There are otherreasons why this plan last described, and illustrated in Fig. 7, may bepreferable in any case, but it is not necessary here to mention them.

The weight-vessels in this plan, or the fluid therein, may be heated toa certain degree by separate baths, if desirable, to prevent an untimelycondensation of the steam.

I. have illustrated my invention as one result accomplished by.se veraldifl'erent meth-' ods without going. intominute details of construction,&c., for the reason that I purpose making these several devices: thesubject of future application.

' Having thus fully described and set forth my invention, I do notbroadly claim, as of my "own invention, the generation of steam fromfluid which boils at a less degree of heat than water. Neither do Iclaim the mere movement of a fluid by means of steam generatedtherefrom, for this has been ofteniliustrated incommon philosophicaltoys, and which, I think, are suggestive of my invention. Neither do Iconfine myself to the several devices described by which the result isaccomplished; but

What I do claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The double utilization of the vapor and weight'of the same fluid forthe purpose and substantially in the manner as herein set forth.

2. The use of two fluids-a denser and a lighter-substantially in themanner and for the purpose described. 7

- CHARLES MONSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, ,RUFUs SANFORD.

